Word March 2000
by garnet eyes
Summary: Using Dictionary .com's March 2000 Word of the Day as basis for freehand thoughts and interactions of the Baron trio. Length and perspective both vary. Not intended to follow a single timeline. Kain, Rosa, and Cecil in various combinations.
1. Argot C,K,R

***Note**: 01 March 2000 edition is rated MA; see profile for other posting sites.

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 19 Mar 2011  
Summary: 02 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa  
Author Notes: _argot_, noun;  
1. A specialized and often secret vocabulary and idiom peculiar to a particular group.  
2. A secret language or conventional slang peculiar to thieves, tramps, and vagabonds.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

The child nobles got offended pretty easily, Cecil thought. Rosa told him they were just jealous and Kain looked really smug and told him, simply, "Good." The prince hadn't understood why that was good, but he wasn't in a position to correct it or anything. It was just as well, because the "secret code" that the trio created got more and more complex as the years went on, and it would have been impossible to explain it to anyone else. Cecil didn't realize it at first, but he started to get the feeling that Kain and Rosa were deliberately creating a whole language with him that only the three of them knew for a very specific reason. That reason, he didn't ever figure out, but he was glad for their code anyway, because it was so much easier to talk about important things when no one could possibly understand them. It actually helped them out in some training sessions, when they got a bit older, because not even the instructors knew what they were planning until they executed said plan.

When Kain decided to leave after that horrible event with Zemus, Cecil was even more grateful for their code because it meant he could say what he wanted and no one else would know or understand. It was relieving that Kain replied in kind, with a smile on his face before he left. He'd come back soon, and that was enough.


	2. Impugn C, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 16 Mar 2011  
Summary: 03 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: T  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
Author Notes: _impugn_, transitive verb;  
1. To attack by words or arguments; to call in question; to make insinuations against; to oppose or challenge as false; to gainsay.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil really wanted to tug at the collar around his neck, but resisted the urge. He hadn't exactly realized before now that his lovers wanted him quite like this, held quite this level of perversion for him, but he was exhausted and sore in all of the right ways and he really didn't _care_ that they liked this kind of thing. He did, however, have to wonder where they had gotten these supplies, and for that matter whether or not anyone else knew what they were being used for.


	3. Lascivious C,K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 15 Mar 2011  
Summary: 04 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: M  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
Author Notes: _lascivious_, adjective;  
1. Lewd; lustful.  
2. Tending to arouse sexual desires.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain had a serious wandering eye, and he'd had it his whole life, almost. Cecil had never really worried about it, because Kain didn't act on any urges he may or may not have had. It was just looking, after all. Rosa disagreed, and was often offended when Kain paused to watch a beautiful woman. She didn't really believe that he would be unfaithful, Cecil didn't think, but she still didn't like his behavior. The paladin thought it was probably some womanly thing, so he'd dismissed the issue in his mind. Up until he noticed how Kain was watching some of the highborn youths that had newly graduated the academy. Highborn _boys_. The paladin had been so offended that he'd punched the dragoon and refused to speak to him for three days. Kain was a lech, but he'd always claimed that Cecil was the _exception_ to the rule of where his tastes ran. That was, apparently, a big fat lie, and the younger knight was determined not to sit idly by while his primary guard went to another man's bed.

For the next six days, the dragoon spent the better part of each morning with ice wrapped in a cloth settled over his groin, and Cecil very gracefully put up with needing extra cushions in any seat he took. Kain didn't even question the sudden increase in the younger knight's drive until the seventh evening, when he'd pinned the paladin on the bed and refused to mount him because Cecil was surely raw by then and he needed to give himself a chance to heal. If that was the problem, fine; Cecil offered to orally pleasure him, and, although the dragoon was clearly interested, that seemed to be the tipping point for his curiosity and he wouldn't let the smaller man move until he explained what was going on. Cecil did, although he knew he'd come off as a touch hysterical and his problem sounded stupidly ridiculous outside of his own head. He _knew_ Kain was faithful.

Still, the dragoon hadn't laughed it off, not like he did with Rosa. Kain claimed he needed to satisfy his urges to look somehow, though, and Cecil was horribly embarrassed even as he fulfilled the request to always be naked in the royal chambers. Rosa hadn't seemed as ashamed about it, but she was also a beautiful woman and her body was amazing so why would her nakedness bother her? On the positive side, at least, the dragoon was true to his word about censoring himself. At least, Cecil hadn't seen him eyeing other women quite so often anymore, and he'd yet to see chocolate eyes wander after another man again.


	4. Parsimony K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 16 Mar 2011  
Summary: 05 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: T  
Characters/Pairings: Kain  
Author Notes: _parsimony_, noun;  
1. Closeness or sparingness in the expenditure of money; - generally in a bad sense; excessive frugality.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain was a bit put out with his father, because the man was always so keen on his son tempering himself to be the best but refused to fund the endeavor. How was the blonde supposed to train in the way of the lance without actually _having_ a lance? His father was being stupid, and obviously didn't understand that he was being stupid, and it was frustrating to live with that. Kain would've bought the spear he had his eye on for himself, but his father was _an ass_ and had specifically told the shopkeeper that Kain was not allowed to purchase any weapons. Which was obnoxious. His father had even had the forethought to bar weapon sales to Rosa, who Kain had asked to do it for him and she'd tried only to bring such ill results. He didn't really want to ask Cecil, because the bloodless prince was flighty enough without added stress, and if the elder Highwind had barred Cecil, too, then the boy would just go all red in the face and stammer apologies at the clerk and then flee, instead of pushing for the sale like he had every right to do as a member of the royal family.

This entire thing was frustrating. And his father was a major pain.


	5. Atrabilious C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 16 Mar 2011  
Summary: 06 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
Author Notes: _atrabilious_, adjective;  
1. Melancholic; gloomy.  
2. Irritable; ill-natured; peevish.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil was quite used to being taunted for his looks, but he'd thickened his skin against such rudeness and it hadn't bothered him in years. It helped, even, to be close to Kain Highwind, because the highborn boy was, frankly, a huge jerk. He wasn't mean spirited, though; he just had some selectively obnoxious behaviors that made the adopted prince want to punch him in the mouth frequently while they grew up together. Cecil didn't care anymore, and it didn't faze the fifteen year old when the noble boys called him a lady and what not. Kain hardly ever used his give name – always called him "princess" – and it wasn't a big to do anymore. In fact, the way that the blonde said it made the title sound decidedly affectionate. And, although Kain thought Cecil oblivious to his behaviors, the younger boy wasn't always asleep when he was lying down with his eyes closed when the dragoon-in-training sifted his fingers through the prince's hair and pet the moon-tone locks carefully. Clearly, Kain wasn't really trying to offend him with his words.

Kain was also the biggest proponent in his pushing himself to get into the best physical condition he could be in, because the prince refused to accept those stupid little stings about his skinny frame and he'd prove he was man enough. Kain was probably one of the overall nicest nobles in Cecil's age range, when it came down to it. He was still a jerk, though.


	6. Peccadillo C,K, KxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 16 Mar 2011  
Summary: 07 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: T  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Kain x Cecil  
Author Notes: _peccadillo_, noun;  
1. A slight offense; a petty fault.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil was pretty positive that Kain was gearing up to ask a favor of him. The younger knight didn't see why his dearest friend went through so much trouble to get in his good graces beforehand, but he _did_ know that the amount that the blonde kissed up to him first was in direct proportion to the size of the favor. And this was promising to be a pretty spectacular request, because Kain had _offered_ to let Cecil be dominant last night, and Kain _never offered that_; and that was just the most recent thing. So the younger between them was weighing whether or not he should just put Kain out of his misery now and ask, or wait and see what lengths the dragoon was willing to go to before he actually made his request. Perhaps it was a touch mean, but Cecil was leaning toward stringing the bigger knight along just to get the most out of it. Maybe it was a bit selfish of him, but he had a bit of a vice when it came to Kain trying to grovel without actually groveling.


	7. Logorrhea C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 22 Mar 2011  
Summary: 08 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
Author Notes: _logorrhea_, noun;  
1. Pathologically incoherent, repetitious speech.  
2. Incessant or compulsive talkativeness; wearisome volubility.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain didn't really get visibly irritated often, for all that his emotions tended to guide his actions. He was a highborn, after all, and he'd been raised as one since the moment of his birth. However, he still found it intensely grating to spend the day with the little adopted prince after the hoary haired youth had spent time with the eldest princes. Prince Philip and Prince Sebastian were both highly talented knights, old enough to have young children of their own now, and they were a lot more mature than many of King Odin's other offspring. Both of the eldest princes treated Cecil like their own son, and tended toward taking him out to teach him new things whenever they were actually around. More often than not, both Prince Philip and Prince Sebastian were away, however, taking care of the knightly tasks assigned to them by His Majesty. They clearly exemplified their breeding, and were really the only contenders out of all of King Odin's variety of mistress-born heirs for the title of crown prince.

The dragoon-in-training supposed that they were both good enough people, all things considered, and he _wasn't_ jealous that his best friend practically vibrated in glee whenever it was announced that they were coming to visit. It just irked him a bit, that Cecil was out with him and yet wouldn't shut up about how great his older brothers were. Kain half wanted to snap at him that they weren't his real brothers, but the adopted prince heard enough cutting remarks about his lacking lineage from pretty much everyone else and the blonde knew how those words would wound the smaller teen. It was just so frustrating; Cecil was with _him_, he shouldn't be so focused on anyone else while he and Kain were out exploring and training.

Still, the blonde would have given anything to hear that endless prattle after the unsavory news returned to the castle, only weeks apart, that Prince Philip and Prince Sebastian had both been slain in battle by a new breed of fiend.


	8. Travail C,K,R, CxR,KxR,KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 19 Mar 2011  
Summary: 09 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: T  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Cecil x Rosa/Kain x Rosa/Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
Author Notes: _travail_, noun;  
1. Painful or arduous work; severe toil or exertion.  
2. Agony; anguish.  
3. The labor of childbirth.  
intransitive verb;  
1. To work very hard; to toil.  
2. To suffer the pangs of childbirth; to be in labor.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

It might have been a touch cruel of him, but Cecil was of the honest opinion that Kain needed to have this particular experience, as the paladin had. And he needed to experience it without any forewarning, just as Cecil hadn't had any preparation. It was somewhat vindicating to hear the dragoon hiss through clenched teeth while Rosa quite possibly broke every bone in his hand. The blonde knight was just lucky he'd given her his right hand, instead of his dominant left. Cecil hadn't been so lucky, and he'd been unable to wield his sword for months afterward, while his dominant right had healed. It still occasionally twitched on him. But the older knight bore the stress until, finally, a thin cry rose up into the air and the midwife announced that it was a boy. Rosa released him and held her arms up for the child, and Kain gripped his damaged hand at the wrist. Cecil was pretty sure he'd heard a little whimper from the dragoon, but he wasn't positive, and he was still a bit distracted trying to keep Ceodore amused and sedate before the boy of nearly four years did something to aggravate either blonde. Kain hadn't been around for the first birth, but he surely wouldn't be calling Cecil "a delicate lady" anymore for what he'd suffered.


	9. Acquiesce C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 19 Mar 2011  
Summary: 10 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
Author Notes: _acquiesce_, intransitive verb;  
1. To accept or consent passively or without objection - usually used with 'in' or 'to'.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Although he didn't exactly like what he was being asked to do, Cecil understood that Kain was a bit embarrassed and didn't want to run the risk of making a fool out of himself publicly. And there was a certain amount of pride in a man that would not tolerate displaying any faults to a woman, so asking Rosa was completely out of the question. It wasn't so terrible, practicing proper dancing with Kain to renew his fluency after a series of growth spurts that put the blonde two full heads taller than the younger boy. Kain just needed to compensate for the sudden change in height and, loathe as the prince was to admit it, his friend needed to get a better handle on his increased strength. It wouldn't do to hurt a lady when dancing with her.

Kain liked to practice a lot, and Cecil often found himself being twirled around his private room at odd times of day. At least the older boy was courteous about not doing this publicly. Their practices were rough at first, in no small part due to Cecil's natural urge to lead once they got into position; he managed to temper that urge with some serious restraint because the prince knew he wasn't the one who was having trouble and Kain needed to get down the basics properly again. Cecil wouldn't let him wear shoes after the first time, though, because Kain's feet were bigger too and it was less painful to be stepped on when there were no leathers making it worse. These sessions went on long enough that, although they always lacked an orchestra to time themselves to, Cecil thought he knew _exactly_ what song was going through Kain's head after only the first step on any given dance.

The prince had only been horrified one evening well into their practices when there was a formal event and he had to pause and really think about what he was doing, because he had automatically taken up the hold on his partner that he normally took when he was with Kain as though he was expecting to be led. The only shallow consolation Cecil had was that he happened to have been with Rosa at the time, and she would not gossip about it and make fun of him for it.


	10. Elucidate K, KxR,KxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 19 Mar 2011  
Summary: 11 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: T  
Characters/Pairings: Kain, Kain x Cecil/Kain x Rosa  
Author Notes: _elucidate_, transitive verb;  
1. To make clear or manifest; to render more intelligible; to illustrate.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

To the dragoon, it had all made perfect sense in a twisted kind of way. Golbez was the means to an end, and had promised him the very thing he desired most. He'd never really intended to kill Cecil – never wanted to. He wanted to break the younger man, to cripple him, strip him of all means of self-reliance. Then Kain could have what he wanted, could _take_ what he wanted, and there would be no dissension. Rosa would be his, and he would take care of her as honor and duty dictated. He would be good to her, make no mistake, and she'd give him the family he wanted. As for his best friend, well, Cecil would be helpless, and Kain would have him too, in every way that he wanted. Cecil was stubborn, but Kain would be good to him, would pamper him just the same as Rosa, and keep them both safe. Golbez promised such grand things, and Kain was so sick of denying himself all of his wants that he had jumped at the chance. Cecil refused to acknowledge him, so the dragoon was going to _make_ him notice, force him to rely on Kain from the first moment he woke to the time he fell asleep, and the dragoon would not have to trouble himself with anyone in Baron's court disagreeing.


	11. Recalcitrant C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 28 Mar 2011  
Summary: 12 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: T  
Characters/Pairings: Baigan, Baron's king, Cecil, Kain  
Author Notes: _recalcitrant_, adjective;  
1. Stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority or restraint.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

"I can do it."

"No."

Cecil blinked, his right hand hovering close to the heavy wooden door leading to the throne room. He wasn't allowed to go in without express permission, and Baigan wasn't there to give him permission, so the small boy was waiting for him to appear from inside the chambers so that he could ask to see His Majesty. Cecil knew better than to call King Odin his father, because he'd been yelled at by bigger boys about that the one time he'd done it; they hadn't liked that he'd used such a word when he wasn't actually related to the king, not like they were. Cecil thought it was kind of a weird thing to get so angry about, but then again he was an orphan so maybe if he had a mother or father of his own he'd be just as possessive.

"Why do you think I can't do it?"

Cecil kind of recognized the voice that was not King Odin's, but he wasn't positive.

"It is not that I don't believe you _can_ do it, but it is unnecessarily dangerous and you being a martyr solves nothing."

It seemed like no one was going to talk after a few minutes of silence, but the five year old was startled enough to jump back when the door suddenly opened and Baigan was standing there. The man paused and looked down at the child before him, but Cecil remained quiet until the door fully closed and he was properly addressed. Baigan kind of scowled at him if he started talking before then, so Cecil could guess that it was bad behavior and he needed to not be bad so he wouldn't be a burden.

"Is there something you need?"

There was a question he had intended to ask, but his curiosity was getting the better of him now because he _knew_ that other voice but he couldn't place it.

"I... I wanted to request a moment of His Majesty's time."

Cecil still didn't understand why he had to say "request" instead of "ask;" the first word was longer and weird to say and besides they meant the same thing, as he was told. But "request" made Baigan feel better, so Cecil would do it that way anyway.

"Will he have a moment, or should I-"

"I won't be a martyr! Just let me do this!"

"That is enough, Kain. What good would there be in losing your life to chance now? Do you truly wish to see your house fall this lifetime?"

Blinking, the young prince looked to the closed door silently. He knew an older boy named Kain. Well, he knew _of_ the older boy; Cecil had met him all of once and the blonde was really arrogant and seemed to want to fight a lot. Kain tended to stick around a little girl named Rosa, and she was pretty nice so Cecil couldn't imagine why she liked being around the other boy.

"I won't fail!"

"Kain, enough. I understand that your parents' deaths hurt you. They were both good people and their loss pains me as well. But I forbid you from setting off by yourself for a more than likely fruitless search for their killer, especially when trained knights have had no luck in that endeavor. That is _final_."

Baigan coughed to get his attention, and emerald eyes blinked before turning from the door back to His Majesty's advisor.

"You may as well be off for now. Come back when the sun is higher."


	12. Abstemious K, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 22 Mar 2011  
Summary: 13 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: T  
Characters/Pairings: Kain, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
Author Notes: _abstemious_, adjective;  
1. Spearing in eating and drinking; temperate; abstinent.  
2. Sparingly used or consumed; used with temperance or moderation.  
3. Marked by or spent in abstinence.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain didn't actually recall how things had gone this far, but he was determined to not lose. Somehow, and he couldn't for the life of himself remember how, the argument he'd gotten into with his beaus led to all three of them swearing off sex. The dragoon was not having an easy time of it, because Rosa was gorgeous and she deliberately wandered the royal chambers naked. Cecil refused to be naked outside of the bathing room, but he was just as bad as Rosa because the three of them tended to bathe together and the young king and queen practically molested themselves while they washed. Kain could handle it, though; he could wait, and he _would_ wait, because he might not remember the start of the argument, but now he had to win just on principle. He was strong enough to overcome the temptation, and, once he won, he was going to give both of them a bowlegged walk for a week, and that would be _after_ healing. See if they tempted him again after _that_.


	13. Gravitas C,K,R, CxR,KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 19 Mar 2011  
Summary: 14 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Cecil x Rosa/Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
Author Notes: _gravitas_, noun;  
1. High seriousness (as in a person's bearing or in the treatment of a subject).  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

"We've had a lot to think about, and a lot on our minds recently."

Although he was startled, the dragoon did not show that he had been too deep in thought to hear the white mage enter his chambers, and he slowly turned from his window to greet her. Cecil was there, too, although he was not currently in his armor. Since Kain hadn't been dressed for service either, it was probably a good thing; the dragoon never liked to be out of his armor when he was faced with one who _was_ prepared to go to battle.

After a beat, Cecil interjected, his own voice low. For the paladin, anyway.

"But there is something important that we must discuss before everything is official and it becomes difficult to change."

Then this was the determination of his fate. In a way, Kain was somewhat relieved to have this discussion here and now, where there could be no eavesdroppers or cutting remarks form the other nobility. The dragoon knew of at least three men who would be all too happy to bear witness to the news of his dismissal, and several others who would gleefully lord over him his loss. The highborn were only too happy to see the fall of a clan if it would make things easier on the rest.

"I will find an appropriate replacement for primary guard if you entrust me with the task, and I know of several good men who would be dutiful as Lord Commander if you are willing to consider them. I will remove myself from Baron without qualm within days if you would delay the announcement for that long."

The silence that followed hurt a lot more than he was willing to admit, but Kain had been expecting this in a way. Before him, Cecil suddenly jerked, and his voice built up to just shy of a yell within a few short words.

"What? No! How could you possibly _say_ that?"

Rosa promptly followed up, her own voice much more subdued, although sounding no less aghast.

"Kain, we could never want such a thing."

The blonde was a bit taken aback by just _how_ impassioned they were becoming about this, and it took him a moment to filter their words. Cecil, Kain quickly realized, was rhythmically clenching his hands at his sides, in that way that meant he was barely restraining himself from doing something.

"Why would you leave us?"

Chocolate eyes blinked, for the dragoon was aware of just how much the paladin's voice had quivered with his words, and he could only jerk uselessly back as the younger knight suddenly lunged the full distance between them and grabbed his arms, his expression an odd mixture of anger and desperation.

"You can't. I- I won't let you."

A small hand rested against the one holding Kain's right arm; Rosa's voice was barely a whisper in the following silence.

"Cecil..."

Pale hands briefly clenched around his biceps before releasing their hold on him, and Kain no longer knew what to make of his situation. Since the paladin now seemed incapable of words, the youngest of the three took up the conversation.

"Have we really been ignoring you so badly?"

They hadn't ignored him, but it did not feel right to him to interfere while he was still waiting for the proverbial ax to fall. His best friends were perfectly happy when together, and he was no longer part of that by his own guilty actions.

His silence in response was enough for the white mage, and she continued in that gentle, soothing tone of hers.

"We want you with us, Kain. You are a large part of our lives, and it has been too long since the three of us discussed our dreams."

The dragoon had no dreams; he had duties, and he hoped to eventually be forgiven, but he could ask for nothing. If they still trusted him to be their primary guard, then that was more than enough for him; it had to be.

In the descending silence that followed, Cecil fidgeted for a brief moment before he managed to compose himself enough to finally speak again.

"I have accepted the duties that have fallen to me in the wake of His Majesty's death, and I will serve Baron to the best of my abilities. But I know where my faults lay, and you have always been by my side to keep me from straying too badly. Rosa has done the same, of course, and I am forever grateful to you both."

The paladin managed a weak smile before lowering his head, only to raise it again and lock steely green eyes on the older knight.

"Attending to the duties of a king will be stressful, and the burden will only become worse as the nobility settle in and employ new tricks. You have a better eye for their games than I ever had, Kain, and I know that. I also know that I will need all the help I can get to stay sane some days. That, I am hoping, is a task that you would be willing to share with Rosa."

The dragoon blinked down at his friend, at once both surprised and not that he was so open. Cecil was always so ready to bare his soul, but that was only true for those he trusted so innately that it would be impossible to honestly use that trust against him. And yet Kain had done so, _twice_, and Cecil _still trusted him_. The eldest of the three couldn't settle his mind enough to reply, and Rosa shortly filled the silence.

"If it seems sudden, it really is not. This is something we both want, but ultimately the decision is yours."


	14. Ides C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 20 Mar 2011  
Summary: 15 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
Author Notes: _Ides_, plural noun;  
1. In the ancient Roman calendar the fifteenth day of March, May, July, and October, and the thirteenth day of the other months.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

It was the middle of the growing season, the fifteenth day of the month, and it was terribly hot on this day. The temperature had risen so much that heatwaves billowed from the ground and all of the adults were sluggish and the guards were irritable and lazy. That last part was good for Kain, because it meant that nobody was willing to give chase and pester him for wandering around the castle without explicit permission. Of course, he could always claim that Cecil had invited him, and that was believable enough because the adopted prince did like him and tended to keep him company regularly.

Kain had a purpose this day, though. Cecil didn't know he was here. _Yet_. A little heat never hurt anybody, and the little prince was going to learn how to swim today whether he liked it or not. The castle moat didn't have anything dangerous in it, and the water would be good for keeping the surprisingly delicate younger boy cool.

Cecil hadn't been expecting anything when Kain had drawn him from the depths of the castle corridors, least of all being picked up and threatened with getting tossed into the water if he didn't strip down for lessons. Of course, when he'd done that, Kain hadn't actually realized that Cecil would keep a monkey-like hold on him the entire time they were in the water, and the blonde hadn't realized how easily the pale boy burned. As in, the prince would not let go of him and he was a dark red pretty quickly. Kain _did_ feel bad about that second part, but he hadn't realized that Cecil couldn't take sunlight; Kain rarely if ever burned while he was outside, so it wasn't something he'd considered before.

It was kind of gross but morbidly fascinating when the skin started peeling off of the boy's back in long strips after a few days. Of course, as soon as he was better, which took a few weeks, Kain took him out again. This time, at least, he kept them on the side of the castle that had blocked out direct sunlight. Cecil was still uncomfortable in so much water, but he was better this time. Kain figured it would take a bit, even ribbing the boy to get him to man up and quit being such a sissy, to teach Cecil anything better than paddling like the castle's mastiffs.


	15. Mendacious K, CxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 22 Mar 2011  
Summary: 16 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Kain, Cecil x Rosa  
Author Notes: _mendacious_, adjective;  
1. Given to deception or falsehood; lying; untruthful; as, a mendacious person.  
2. False; untrue; as, a mendacious statement.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

…

Kain hated being lied to, no matter the source, but he'd known for a long time that he had been doing just that. He'd lied to Cecil. He'd lied to Rosa. Most of all, he'd lied to himself. He didn't want to hurt them, and so he'd simply grinned and bore it when they became closer. It wasn't even that he wished to get between them; he simply missed having them both at his side, like how things had been before they'd gotten old enough to consider romance as anything more than something gross that adults did. Certainly, he loved Rosa a lot; he loved Cecil, too. They were the only ones he really cared about anymore beyond the most artificial sense. He didn't know why he'd been trying to convince himself that everything was fine and that nothing would change once the two of them became a pair, because "pair" automatically implied that he would often be excluded. Things were going to be different no matter what.


	16. Verdure C

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 22 Mar 2011  
Summary: 17 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil  
Author Notes: _verdure_, noun;  
1. Green; greenness; freshness of vegetation.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil's eyes were very pretty. Most agreed on that, including several older men who really shouldn't have been thinking about it at all when they had commented on his eyes while the adopted prince had been very young. It wasn't just because of the depth of the color that they were so appealing, either, although neither Kain nor Rosa had ever seen another person with green eyes – everyone they'd ever known had either brown eyes or blue eyes, of varying shades of course. Cecil's eyes were always open wide, trying to take in everything at once, and his gaze might have been steady but it was rarely sharp or cutting. He let nothing lie hidden in emerald orbs, opening himself up as completely as he could. That naive, gentle acceptance made him look terribly innocent, and that never changed no matter how the world jaded him.

Cecil's eyes were so pretty because they proved that he would not be tarnished by the world, no matter how bad things became. His eyes gave others hope.


	17. Emblazon C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 19 Mar 2011  
Summary: 18 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
Author Notes: _emblazon_, transitive verb;  
1. To deck in glaring colors; to set off conspicuously; to display pompously; to decorate.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil was ridiculously skilled with a blade for being one of the weaker knights. Physically, he was simply not built to wield the same amount of brute force, and yet he felled those stronger than him, usually without much effort. The sons of the nobles took great offense at this, for they were highborn and a clanless mongrel who hadn't a hope of intimidating anything more threatening than a rabbit when he wasn't in his armor should not be able to claim victory against them. Some, at least, grudgingly admitted that the bloodless prince deserved the praise he received, but there were some who were infuriated by their loss and demanded continual rematches. Those were the ones who would never be the head heirs to their clans, because those were the ones who relied solely on the strength of their muscles.

Kain frequently laughed at them, because they weren't even trying to better themselves by repeatedly sparring the adopted prince; they just made the same mistakes every time. Cecil was very clever when it came to combat, and he understood how to use everything from his surroundings to his slighter form to his benefit. The dragoon liked to spar him as much as possible, but that was because he really had to push himself against Cecil, and he knew he was better for it. Certainly, he was stronger than the shorter man, but the dark knight had proved time and again that strength that was poorly applied meant absolutely nothing. Kain could only best him with solid plans, and he constantly had to work at creating new ones because Cecil was notorious for figuring out how to counteract strategies that have been applied to him at least once.

Because the youth could think so quickly on his feet, Kain had to be just as fast, lest he lose any advantages gained. It was, in a few words, the best training he could get, and Cecil was _always_ willing to spar with him. As a matter of fact, the smaller knight sought _Kain_ out at times as well, and he didn't do that for just anybody. It meant that Kain was a challenge to him, and that meant that Kain claimed more than just physical prowess to his name. The dragoon was prideful of that particular badge of honor, because, although Cecil never really turned down a spar, he only asked of them from the most impressive officers in the ranks. The blonde wasn't an officer yet, but it was definitely only a matter of time.


	18. Collude K, KxCxR,CxK

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 19 Mar 2011  
Summary: 19 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: M  
Characters/Pairings: Kain, Kain x Cecil x Rosa/Cecil x Kain  
Author Notes: _collude_, intransitive verb;  
1. To act in concert; to conspire; to plot.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain was still a bit peeved to have lost this particular bet. He knew he'd been cheated, too, that both Cecil and Rosa had been in it together, although why the white mage cared at all was beyond the dragoon. But the fact of the matter remained: he had lost, and he was honor-bound to do one thing that the paladin wanted, and Kain knew damn good and well what Cecil wanted. The blonde knight just wasn't a fan of having another between his legs, and he was certainly not as enthusiastic about being speared as his king was. But Cecil had gotten it in his head that he wanted to take the dragoon, and the man was being a mule about his desire. Kain had tried it before, and he'd never really liked it. He never hated it, but it did very little for him, so he tended to resist that particular want. Of course, Cecil being who he was, and Kain being who he was, the entire thing had turned into something competitive. Kain normally got his way, but then the paladin was also normally quite content to be sandwiched between the dragoon and white mage; the younger knight would never resort to pulling rank or something similar, but his plans were becoming more complex. Kain honestly hadn't expected Rosa to get drawn into this, and he'd been completely unprepared for it.

Well, he'd be more prepared for it in the future, but for tonight it seemed that he'd been conned into potentially bad sex. It was yet to be seen, what exactly Rosa was getting out of all of this.


	19. Risible K,R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 28 Mar 2011  
Summary: 20 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: T  
Characters/Pairings: Kain, Rosa  
Author Notes: _risible_, adjective;  
1. Capable of laughing; disposed to laugh.  
2. Exciting or provoking laughter; worthy of laughter; laughable; amusing.  
3. Relating to, connected with, or used in laughter; as, "risible muscles."  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain had been rather sullen in the weeks following his parents' deaths. Rosa hated to see him like that, because he was always so high energy that it was just depressing. She didn't really know what to do, though, because he'd just lost both of his parents at once. That would devastate her. However, she couldn't let him continue to mope, because that wasn't good for him either, so she did her best to put a smile on his face and forced him to continue going out with her and running around whether he liked it or not; it was such a relief, even to her young mind, the first time she'd gotten a chuckle out of him a few weeks after Lord and Lady Highwind had passed. She didn't even remember what she'd done, but it had made her _so_ happy that he was getting better.

It wasn't until her own father died and Kain did his best to pull her through such a hardship that she realized how grateful she was to have him at her side.


	20. Surcease C, KxR, imKxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 19 Mar 2011  
Summary: 21 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: M  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain x Rosa, implied Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
Author Notes: _surcease_, noun;  
1. Cessation; stop; end.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

It was difficult to manage his endless flow of missives and requests during the day. So much so, that Cecil frequently took a fair amount with him back to the royal chambers to finish up before he turned in for the night. Baron's king was very good about keeping on top of the welfare of his people, and he was determined not to fail himself, his bygone liege, or any of the people depending on him. Of course, bringing his work to his room didn't always yield much progress, or at least not until after a certain point in time. Because his primary guard was an excellent and loyal warrior, but Cecil was fairly positive that after a certain hour in the evening the man thought with his loins alone, and not one thought went through his head. And, although they were good about not bothering him while he was working, it was impossible to concentrate with his guard and his wife being intimate at his back.

So sometimes the king couldn't finish anything until the two of them went to sleep, and he'd end up working rather late into the evening because of it.


	21. Adumbrate R, imCxR,KxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 28 Mar 2011  
Summary: 22 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Rosa, implied Cecil x Rosa/Kain x Cecil  
Author Notes: _adumbrate_, verb;  
1. To foreshadow; prefigure.  
2. To produce a faint image or resemblance of; to outline or sketch.  
3. To darken or conceal partially; overshadow.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Rosa didn't begrudge her best friends what she knew of them. Kain was denying himself for her sake, and while that made her heart go out to him even more, she'd seen the damage he was causing himself. Cecil was not an idiot, though; he didn't have the complete picture, but he had an idea of the problem and that was enough to start. Or it should have been, if the dragoon wasn't being such a _stubborn ass_ about it. The younger knight would accept those feelings that Kain tried so mightily to suppress; Cecil always accepted every part of Kain whether either of them knew it consciously or not.

It hurt a little, knowing as she did that, for all that they cared for her, they consistently tripped over themselves to come to each other's aid. The white mage knew they would both come to her rescue in a heartbeat, but that was just it: they always felt the need to _rescue_ her, while they always wanted to _stand beside_ each other. Rosa loved them both enough to let herself drift to the background some days, because some days she knew she would only seem a burden.


	22. Elysium C, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 28 Mar 2011  
Summary: 23 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: T  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
Author Notes: _Elysium_, noun;  
1. A dwelling place assigned to happy souls after death; the seat of future happiness; Paradise.  
2. Hence, any place or condition of ideal bliss or complete happiness.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

It had been so many years. Cecil felt so tired now. So painfully tired and alone. A man should never have the misfortune of outliving generation after generation after generation of his own family. He'd not lost quite as many members of his own flesh and blood lineage as he had of his beloved's line, but he was getting closer to it every day. And still, he did not look half as old as he felt on the inside. The longing to see his beloved once more, to hold his wife and guard, was so strong some days that he would have been happy to close his eyes and never awaken. But he could not take the coward's path – he had promised them both that he would not, and he intended to keep his word to his last breath. It still hurt, seeing the world so changed, adapting to all of the differences, and yet never having his dearest with him to share in these struggles. His most cherished memories were all of days long forgotten to history, although he continued living as he could in the present. His only consolation, and it was a bitter sympathy to have, was that his long lifespan had been lessened bit by bit through the generations, thinned out so that his family did not so vastly outstrip the lives of all whom they loved.

The paladin wished he knew more about the lunarian side of his ancestry, just to have a better idea of how long he should expect to continue on. Fusoya had looked to be in his later years, but Cecil didn't know how long that would take. He just knew that he would do what it took to remain in his beloved's good graces, that they would embrace him upon his death and he would finally feel the peace and comfort and love that he so missed these days.


	23. Demagogue R, CxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 28 Mar 2011  
Summary: 24 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Rosa, Cecil x Rosa  
Author Notes: _demagogue_, noun;  
1. A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace.  
2. A leader of the common people in ancient times.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Rosa had always known Cecil to be clever, but he was a touch too naive to ever come across as wily off of the field of battle. At least, that was what she had believed for most of her life. Her husband was a touch simple at times, but he was never a fool. And she was taught her first real lesson in that fact shortly after they had wed, because she had been under the impression that he had no real concept of what powers were behind his ascension to the throne. He knew, possibly better than she did – like a bard with a captive audience, Cecil had used his own humble origins and the experience of having an entire nation bowing to a false king to sway even the most mulish nobles that the bloodless heir would serve to shake the harsh criticism from Baron's name and bring honor back to the kingdom, restoring the empire into the good graces of all people. He _did_ believe that he could do it, but Rosa had never before realized just how jaded the paladin really was.


	24. Augury K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 29 Mar 2011  
Summary: 25 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: T  
Characters/Pairings: Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
Author Notes: _augury_, noun;  
1. The art or practice of foretelling events; divination.  
2. An omen; prediction; prognostication; indication of the future.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

"I foresee a good night."

Although he tried very hard not to, Kain could feel the edges of his lips quirking up in response to Rosa's bemused statement. Still, he didn't take his eyes from the paladin being bombarded on all sides by drunken nobility bound and determined to get him into the same condition. The dragoon wasn't worried, even though he could bet that this was a ploy to get their king to agree to something outlandish while he was muddled in the head; both the royal guard and the queen were deliberately not partaking for that very same reason. The thing about Cecil getting drunk, though, was that he became terribly open to suggestion. Not that it was much of a challenge normally, but Kain could swear that under the correct set of circumstances, his king would quite willingly bare himself in the middle of a crowded room for either or both of the blondes to enjoy him. Fortunately, Cecil never became drunk enough to be willing to lie with any aside from his wife and lover, so he'd resist any attempts of impropriety placed upon him even in his least coherent state.

Honestly, the dragoon was rather enjoying watching his best friend becoming flustered while trying to keep from drinking too much. The nobles were doing a good job of distracting him, and he was already to the point of flushed cheeks. Rosa was better at gauging the fine line between the paladin being properly marinated and being completely trashed, so the dragoon would let her interrupt when it became appropriate. In the meantime, he simply kept track of what was being said and fancied having a very lusty, very beautiful knight cave to his every sexual whim. Well, his and Rosa's whims. And she had some very delectable whims indeed.


	25. Fulminate C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 29 Mar 2011  
Summary: 26 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
Author Notes: _fulminate_, intransitive verb;  
1. To issue or utter verbal attacks or censures authoritatively or menacingly.  
2. To explode; to detonate.  
transitive verb;  
1. To utter or send out with denunciations or censures.  
2. To cause to explode.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

"You're a total jerk, Kain!"

Rolling his eyes, the blonde turned even as he crossed his arms over his chest, and looked down at the little adopted prince standing before him in an absolute huff. It had been bothering the dragoon-in-training quite a bit recently that his acknowledged best friend was so... _not right_. Cecil was still short at sixteen – a lot like Rosa, in fact – and he was prettier than any courtesan Kain had ever seen. He was willowy, even with the harsh training he'd been undergoing to become a knight, and he had such a fair complexion that he was more delicate than most women when he had to be outdoors. Everyone else around their age had been maturing toward their majority, but Cecil just wasn't gaining any height and he wasn't looking any more manly. Kain had bulked up as he'd grown tall, and gained strength exponentially with his additional muscle mass. There was no contest that Cecil was physically the weakest knight-in-training, although he wasn't by any means a poor warrior. Still, it was just _wrong_ that the younger teen still so looked like a child.

"What's wrong now, princess?"

It was oddly cute, seeing how that silky mane fluffed up in anger as those big emerald eyes narrowed, as though Cecil could possibly look threatening _ever_.

"You-! I can't- how could you even- _why_- this- _you absolute jerk_!"

If Cecil couldn't even string together a coherent thought, this had to have been good. Kain honestly didn't know what he'd done to fluster the younger teen so badly, but he kind of wanted to figure it out just so he could do it again. The little prince just didn't have it in himself to say anything worse, anyway. To Kain, at least. And that really didn't help the blonde move on from the fact that his best friend was more of a lady than some _girls_.

"Your face is red."

Kain couldn't help goading sometimes, although he knew it was kind of mean. Mostly because Cecil just continued to sputter angrily, generously peppering his incomplete thoughts with "jerk." Out of curiosity, the blonde started counting the number of times he heard that word; he got up to thirteen before a more complete thought managed to make it past blue lips.

"Everyone's looking at me oddly!"

How that had to do with the dragoon-in-training, Kain honestly didn't know. The adopted prince had a tendency to say and do things that most wouldn't dream of, and he could get away with it because he was _Cecil_, and the bloodless prince was rather well liked by the adults regardless of his inferior breeding.

"And that's my problem?"

Lithe hands fluttered in incoherent gestures as the smaller knight-to-be squeaked.

"Y-you told everyone-!"

After watching a bit of helpless gesturing, Kain decided that he might as well prompt the younger teen or he might well be watching this display forever. Not that it wasn't funny, but he still didn't know _why_ he was now a jerk.

"...Told everyone...?"

Bright red, the smaller knight-in-training scowled as he stomped one foot childishly, looking about halfway to a tantrum from his appearance alone.

"That I sleep with you!"

Kain vaguely remembered saying something of the sort when he'd been questioned by a few of his age mates as to why he was always coming out of the adopted prince's room in the morning instead of coming out of his own chambers. But Cecil had a lot of nightmares and if the dragoon didn't go to his room then the little prince would certainly _end up_ in Kain's bed by morning.

"...You do."

Clearly, the younger knight-in-training had not wanted anyone else to know, however. Which was stupid, because it was kind of _obvious_. Kain hadn't said a thing about the nightmares, though, only that he spent the nights with the smaller teen. Men had pride, after all, and he could never be that malicious against his best friend, intentionally or otherwise. The dragoon-in-training could tell, though, that the bright color tinging Cecil's skin was definitely from embarrassment more than anger.

"That's not-! I hate dealing with people like the Rotberg boys, always telling me to sleep with them instead!"

Kain felt his spine tingle unpleasantly as he straightened, and chocolate eyes sharpened their gaze on the adopted prince as the smaller teen threw a fit before him.

"...Cecil, you've declined, I hope."

For a moment it looked as though the little knight-in-training might have just been incited to violence, but he never actually struck out as he replied.

"Of course I declined. All thirty six times in the last week they've tried to needle me into accepting. But- but why would you-!"

The tone of bland dismissal in that childishly high voice proved Cecil's continued innocence and naivety.

"Thirty six, hm? I'll put a stop to that. And don't insult me, princess. No one knows about the nightmares, or at least they didn't learn it from me."

Kain wasn't really bothered that much by Cecil thinking that the blonde must have said something to implicate him; the bloodless prince just didn't follow the same lines of logic as everyone else. And Cecil clearly was not aware that his definition of "sleep with" did not mesh with anyone else's; the blonde honestly hadn't been thinking in terms any less benign than his best friend when he'd said anything before, and he regretted that now. The dragoon couldn't even imagine the humiliated ball of rage that the little prince would be if he ever figured out that everyone had gotten the wrong idea. He might actually manage something more insulting than "jerk" at that point.


	26. Sycophant C,R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 29 Mar 2011  
Summary: 27 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Rosa  
Author Notes: _sycophant_, noun;  
1. A person who attempts to win favor by flattering people of wealth or influence; a parasite; a toady.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Even when she had been younger, Rosa had thought it was pretty petty of a lot of the highborn to think Cecil was trying to rise above himself. He'd been a _baby _when he'd been found. How could he have possibly convinced His Majesty of anything? Certainly, the adopted prince was sweet as honey and smiled with all of the brightness of the midday sun when King Odin was pleased with something he'd done. And yes, Cecil did tend to do what His Majesty asked, but so did everyone else so that wasn't anything to shake heads over. He was also kinder to her than most of the nobles were, seeing as how she was only just barely considered highborn. He didn't have to be nice to her; it wasn't like she was really any better off than he was, in the long run. But he still _was_, and that was proof enough for her that he wasn't trying to gain anything by his behaviors. They were simply part of his natural temperament.


	27. Vitiate C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 29 Mar 2011  
Summary: 28 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
Author Notes: _vitiate_, transitive verb;  
1. To make faulty or imperfect; to render defective; to impair; as, "exaggeration vitiates a style of writing."  
2. To corrupt morally; to debase.  
3. To render ineffective; as, "fraud vitiates a contract."  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil had known for a very long time that Kain just didn't talk about anything. More to the point, the blonde never discussed his own feelings or beliefs, no matter how good he was at handling court etiquette. The younger knight had lived with that for many years; he'd known his best friend for most of his life, and he could tell everything he needed to know when he could see the dragoon's face. Which was partially why he didn't really like Kain's helmet. When most of his face was covered, Cecil was often at a loss and it was frustrating because the larger man _never wanted to talk_. The dark knight knew something was bothering his friend now, too. He knew it without a doubt, but Kain refused to acknowledge it and wouldn't even look at him unless that damnable helmet was on. The dragoon had gotten away with shrugging off the issue one time too many, however, and Cecil was determined to tie him to a chair if that's what it took to get Kain to just tell him what was wrong. The young prince would _love_ to fix the rift he was beginning to sense between them, and he _would_ fix it, no matter what. He'd do it right after he got this urgent assignment from his liege, because he'd been called to take up arms for the betterment of Baron and the Lord Captain had to act as a proper model knight should.


	28. Factious K, CxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 30 Mar 2011  
Summary: 29 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: T  
Characters/Pairings: Kain, Cecil x Rosa  
Author Notes: _factious_, adjective;  
1. Given to faction; addicted to form parties and raise dissensions, in opposition to government or the common good; turbulent; seditious; prone to clamor against public measures or men; - said of persons.  
2. Pertaining to faction; proceeding from faction; indicating, or characterized by, faction; - said of acts or expressions; as, factious quarrels.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain was more than a little appalled when he'd grudgingly returned to Baron before he'd intended because of a missive Rosa had sent begging for his aid. He'd returned to this ridiculous scenario that at once felt mind-numbingly idiotic but, then, what more could be expected? It had taken months after things had settled from the fight with Zemus for all of the litigation to finally end in the majority decision that their fallen liege had, in fact, still been in his right mind when he'd given the bloodless prince the title for the crown, and that Cecil was the rightful successor to the throne. Of course, there would always be dissension, because Cecil wasn't a highborn and King Odin had illegitimate heirs. But Cecil had long proven his virtue, and Kain agreed that the paladin was the correct choice to bring Baron out of the chaotic mess that it had fallen into. Had certain heirs survived from King Odin's line, that might not be the case, but those that were left held neither the honor nor the tempered faith and experience necessary to make Baron great again.

Yet, apparently, that did not stop those whelps from trying. Although Kain probably shouldn't be calling them that, since most of them were older than him. But to try to incite riots among the people was going too far. The dragoon was more than a little miffed to find out that attempts had been made on Cecil's life, by these men and women incited by a cause that had no bearing; not because of the attempts themselves, but rather the fact that it seemed that several of the dragoons had been at least partially swayed and had chosen to look the other way. Baron was prosperous, and the vast majority were content, but there was always a seed of resentment in a highborn when forced to follow the will of a peasant. Kain could bet, based on the backgrounds of those dragoons, that they still thought of Cecil as a peasant.

The blonde wasn't going to stand for this foolishness. Cecil looked exhausted when Kain had first arrived, although he wouldn't admit to the slowly building paranoia of one who could not even trust his own guards to keep him safe. The paladin didn't even take off his armor to sleep, and his sword was next to him while he bathed. Rosa only barely looked any better, and Kain was furious with the men he had left to guard the kingdom during his absence. Kain was a Highwind, a thirtieth generation noble who was of a higher class of nobility than some families may ever reach, and he could bet that that was at least part of the reason for the white mage to beg for his return. Highborn better respected their acknowledged superiors, and Cecil was too nice to go about making examples of misguided fools when they were being manipulated by the words and will of another. Kain wasn't so nice.

The dragoons were in for a rude awakening, and Kain was going to be taking over as the royal couple's primary guard immediately and until further notice. The king and queen needed sleep, and he needed to know that he could trust his own soldiers to do what they were supposed to be doing. Once everything was properly settled and the dissension had passed, Kain could head back out to do what he had intended. Before then, he would be too busy to worry for it.


	29. Quiescent K,R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 19 Mar 2011  
Summary: 30 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Kain, Rosa  
Author Notes: _quiescent_, adjective;  
1. Being in a state of repose; at rest; still; inactive.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

It had been a long day, and the blonde knight-in-training wanted nothing more than to lie in his bed and pass out. The fact that he _was_ lying in his bed meant that his first hurdle had been overcome, but _Rosa_ was there and she needed to talk to him, and it was all Kain could do to stay awake and grunt now and again to let her know that he hadn't fallen asleep on her. One of the good things about Rosa, at least, was that she didn't actually need his input so much, she just needed him to listen. She usually came up with her own solutions, so Kain could probably get away with tuning her out and dropping off, but she knew his tricks and with his luck she'd not only notice but this would be the time she needed his perspective. He was half tempted to tell her to talk to Cecil, but the blondes had known each other very nearly since birth and she, in the end, valued his say more. It was flattering, but Kain _really_ would have preferred to sleep first and listen to her in the morning.


	30. Purblind C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
Author: Garnet Eyes  
Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
Last Updated: 19 Mar 2011  
Summary: 31 March 2000 edition.  
Rating: K+  
Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
Author Notes: _purblind_, adjective;  
1. Having greatly reduced vision.  
2. Lacking in insight or discernment.  
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain thought he probably would have been purring like a great cat had he the ability to. As knights-in-training, they had been given an exercise in trust that proved quite well that not one boy trusted his peers. With the exception of a single pair. The object was simple: pair off, one would bind a strip of cloth over his eyes, denying himself that single sense, and for the duration of the week his partner was tasked with assisting him as he needed with all things. Marks were made based on a number of things, and if a pair acquired ten marks then they had failed the exercise for the day and the cloth would be removed from the bearer, to be given back the following morning. The following week they would switch roles and repeat. Many of the apparently tightly knit groups boasted that they would be the best at "this stupid thing" and yet the most brazen of them lost their blinds on the first day within _an hour_. It was kind of funny, that.

Cecil was easy enough to take care of, although Kain did miss the sleep he normally got during academics – he couldn't study Cecil's notes when Cecil couldn't write them. The little prince was pretty good about handling himself, and the two of them had been together for so long that Kain could pretty well preempt any need for actual requests. By the end of the first week, they were the only pair to have not once been told to remove the cloth. The second week, Kain was pretty sure that he'd be happy to wear that blind the rest of his life as long as Cecil was the one taking care of him. He'd not needed to request anything, and he'd slept his way through every single class with ease. He'd not even been bothered by the jealousy of the others, because his prissy best friend was pretty vicious for being such a princess, and although Kain had felt the stir of the air beside him when someone made to strike, he'd not even flinched and he'd never felt anything more than that. He'd even idly discussed with Cecil as the bloodless prince gave him a bath one evening that they would do good to keep the blind and use it to better hone their other senses. Cecil agreed.

Of course, the instructors had laid into the lot of knights-in-training after the end of the two weeks, going off on how soldiers needed to have trust in one another or the ranks would be too easy to break. They'd repeatedly pointed to Kain and Cecil as "the only two prepared for difficult missions" and Kain had had difficulty suppressing his smirk at the glowers he'd seen on the other boys' faces. It was their own fault for being childish and finding it funny to play pranks on the ones who were blindfolded.


End file.
